Richard Orrin "Orrin" Cross

Richard Orrin Cross, beloved father, teacher, and advocate for public education, died peacefully on May 19. His life was devoted to family, students, and community, grounded in the belief that education can transform lives and strengthen society. He is survived by his children, Kevin and Kimberly, and his cherished grandchildren Julia, Jonisha, Sequari, and Eve. He was predeceased by his daughter, Kirsten, and his second wife, Mary Louise Naverrete.

Born to Lionel and Janet Cross in Fortuna, California, on January 20, 1937-the day FDR began his second term-Orrin grew up with the family joke that Inauguration Day had been changed in his honor. Lionel, his family's first college graduate, taught agriculture and led the Future Farmers of America in San Jose. Janet, also a graduate, maintained steam locomotives during WWII and later taught home economics. Their example instilled in Orrin a lifelong respect for learning and work done in service to others.

As a teen, Orrin spent summers picking prunes and painting houses-lessons in discipline he later passed on to students. At seventeen, he met Carol Kipp in the Willow Glen Methodist Church, where they sang in the choir and were active in the youth fellowship. His love of singing and the outdoors lasted all his life. Married while still in college, the two pedaled everywhere on four-speed Raleighs, mastering the art of balancing groceries on the handlebars. Orrin continued commuting by bicycle for decades, riding up San Carlos's famously steep 17% Melendy Drive-rain or shine (though he did eventually upgrade his bike).

In 1960, he joined the faculty at San Carlos High School to teach biology. A National Science Foundation grant sent the young family-with two toddlers and a baby packed into a camper-to Purdue University each summer for four years, where Orrin earned his Master's degree in biology. It's hard to say which parent had the tougher job during those trips.

He was a gifted teacher who cared deeply about his students, though it wasn't always appreciated-more than once, he drove to a class member's home to enlist parents in a plan for success. "Orrinology" quickly gained a reputation for being tough but fair. Students always knew where they stood and how to make up lost ground. Labs brought theory to life, and field trips – to Pillar Point on the coast, the Sierras, or the San Diego Zoo – made science unforgettable. He didn't just teach biology; he taught students how to learn. Many remembered his class as a high point of their school years, and thanked him for preparing them for college.

Outside the classroom, Orrin worked to strengthen the systems supporting public education. At 30, he was elected president of the Sequoia Union High School District Teachers Association, helping secure wages and benefits to retain top educators. He and Carol campaigned for school desegregation in the late 1960s, and in 1975 he served on the local elementary school board, championing bilingual education and broader access.

A natural innovator, Orrin worked in multimedia before the term existed. In 1967, he created an "audio-tutorial" classroom lined with slide-sound stations and cassette lessons set to popular music. Triple-screen slide shows, featuring hundreds of classroom photos set to music with cutting-edge "fade" technology, were a highlight at Open House. Students performed dissections and experiments, handed out home-baked cookies, and offered live interaction with "Herman" – a real human skull, animated by a hidden student with a lever and microphone.

In 1976, he installed one of the first computerized phone systems to notify families of student absences. His voice became a familiar presence throughout the district, with students rushing to erase messages-which many alumni can still quote-before parents came home. His approach dramatically cut class-cutting, and was one of the earliest implementations of automated calls in the country.

An avid outdoorsman, Orrin loved to ski, hike, kayak, and camp in the Sierras. He and Carol always made room for friends on family trips.

When San Carlos High closed in 1982, Orrin transferred to Carlmont, where he taught until retirement in 1997. After divorcing in 1990 and a brief stint of bachelorhood (marked by some inventive stir-fry experiments), he married Mary Louise, whose family welcomed him warmly. Retirement brought travel, time for loved ones, and a return to community life. In 2002, he rejoined the Unitarian Fellowship of Redwood City, singing in the choir and joining the "Connections" committee. Ever a teacher, he led a political discussion group at the San Carlos Senior Center and volunteered as a wildflower docent at Edgewood Park, where he hiked regularly.

In 2021, as dementia advanced, he moved to Colorado to live with his son Kevin. Though memories faded, the essentials endured: songs learned in youth, his self-image as a teacher, and his deep affection for family, friends, and the many lives he touched. His legacy lives on in the thousands of former students who still approach the world with curiosity, persistence, and the belief that knowledge carries both privilege and responsibility.

A memorial will be held Friday, January 2, 4:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Redwood City. The following day, we'll gather at Pillar Point to honor Orrin's love of the natural world.